Title:

Vermont Drug Threat Assessment

Document ID: 2002-S0377VT-001

Archived on: January 1, 2006.
This document may contain
dated information. It remains available to provide
access to historical materials.

This report is a strategic assessment that addresses the status and
outlook of the drug threat to Vermont.
Analytical judgment determined the threat posed by each drug type or
category, taking into account the most current quantitative and
qualitative information on availability, demand, production or
cultivation, transportation, and distribution, as well as the effects of a
particular drug on abusers and society as a whole. While NDIC sought to
incorporate the latest available information, a time lag often exists
between collection and publication of data, particularly demand-related
data sets. NDIC anticipates that this drug threat assessment will be
useful to policymakers, law enforcement personnel, and treatment providers
at the federal, state, and local levels because it draws upon a broad
range of information sources to describe and analyze the drug threat to
Vermont.

The distribution and abuse of illegal drugs pose a serious threat to
the safety and security of the citizens of Vermont. Heroin, most of which
is produced in South America, is Vermont's primary drug threat. Heroin
treatment admissions currently outnumber all other illicit drug treatment
admissions with the exception of marijuana, and they continue to increase.
Heroin-related deaths and arrests are likewise increasing. Cocaine
represents the second most significant threat with the number of treatment
admissions and arrests increasing but at slower rates than heroin.
Marijuana is the most prevalent drug in Vermont, and the rate of abuse is
high, particularly among young adults. However, marijuana is considered a
lower threat than heroin or cocaine because its effects are less
debilitating, and its distribution and use are not commonly associated
with violent crime. Other dangerous drugs, including diverted
pharmaceuticals, LSD, and MDMA, represent a minor threat compared with
heroin, cocaine, and marijuana. Diversion and abuse of OxyContin pose a
new and growing threat within this category. The threat posed by
methamphetamine is low with little indication that the drug is available
or abused.

Heroin, most of which is produced in South America, is the
primary drug threat to Vermont because it is increasingly available, and
the level of abuse is high and increasing rapidly. The Burlington Police
Department cites heroin as the primary drug threat to Burlington, Vermont's
largest city. The Vermont Drug Task Force, with jurisdiction throughout
the state, reports that availability and abuse of heroin are increasing in
the cities of Brattleboro, Burlington, Montpelier, Newport, Rutland, and
St. Johnsbury. The annual number of treatment admissions for heroin abuse
in Vermont increased 230 percent from fiscal year (FY) 1996 to FY2000,
more dramatically than for any other drug. The annual number of heroin
overdose deaths more than tripled from 1998 through 2000. Additionally,
from 1999 to 2000 the number of state and local heroin-related
investigations increased 372 percent, and the number of individuals
arrested for either possession or sale/delivery of heroin increased 147
percent. Wholesale distribution of heroin in Vermont is extremely limited.
Local independent Caucasian dealers are the primary retail distributors of
heroin in the state. These dealers commonly travel in private automobiles
to purchase heroin, primarily from Dominican criminal groups in Holyoke,
Lawrence, Lowell, and Springfield, Massachusetts; Hartford, Connecticut;
and New York, New York.

Cocaine is the second most significant drug threat to Vermont.
Most state and federal law enforcement authorities report that powdered
cocaine is widely available with availability remaining at a stable level.
The availability and abuse of crack cocaine are reported to be increasing
in the more populated areas, particularly Brattleboro, Burlington, and
Rutland. The number of treatment admissions for cocaine increased 14
percent from FY1999 to FY2000. Additionally, the number of cocaine-related
arrests increased 15 percent from 1999 to 2000. Wholesale distribution of
cocaine in Vermont is extremely limited. Local independent Caucasian
dealers are the primary retail distributors of powdered cocaine in the
state. These dealers commonly travel in private automobiles to purchase
powdered cocaine, primarily from Dominican criminal groups in Holyoke,
Lawrence, Lowell, and Springfield, Massachusetts; Hartford, Connecticut;
and New York, New York. African American criminal groups based in
Massachusetts, Connecticut, and New York are the dominant retail
distributors of crack in Vermont. Members of these criminal groups
typically purchase crack from Dominican criminal groups, travel to Vermont
to sell the drugs quickly, and return home. These criminal groups are also
increasingly converting powdered cocaine into crack in Vermont.

Marijuana is the most widely available and commonly abused drug
in Vermont. However, marijuana constitutes a lower threat than heroin and
cocaine because distribution and abuse of marijuana are not commonly
associated with violent crime. Vermont consistently had more treatment
admissions for marijuana abuse than for any other drug every year from
FY1997 through FY2000 with admissions increasing 45 percent during this
4-year period. Marijuana use among high school students is decreasing
after a period of increasing use beginning in 1991 and peaking in 1997.
Most of the marijuana available in the state is produced in Mexico;
marijuana produced locally or in Canada is also available. Wholesale
distribution of marijuana in Vermont is extremely limited. Loosely
organized Caucasian criminal groups and local independent Caucasian
dealers are the dominant retail distributors of marijuana. These groups
typically purchase marijuana from Caucasian criminal groups in
Massachusetts, Connecticut, and New York.

Other dangerous drugs, including diverted pharmaceuticals such
as OxyContin, hallucinogens such as LSD, and stimulants such as MDMA,
currently represent a minor threat to Vermont compared with heroin,
cocaine, and marijuana. The abuse of OxyContin, a strong semisynthetic
opiate prescribed for pain relief, is of increasing concern to state and
local law enforcement officials in several Vermont communities. Young
adults are the primary abusers of LSD, and the drug is frequently
distributed at rock concerts in the state. The availability and abuse of
MDMA are limited in Vermont, but the drug has become a serious problem in
other states in the region. MDMA is distributed at raves in neighboring
states and Canada. Burlington area residents, among others, reportedly
attend raves held across the border in Montreal, and residents in areas
such as Brattleboro reportedly attend raves in Springfield, Massachusetts.
No raves have been reported in Vermont. To the extent MDMA is available in
the state, it is usually sold in bars and private residences.

The availability and abuse of methamphetamine are extremely
limited in Vermont, making the threat posed by the drug low. The number of
methamphetamine-related primary treatment admissions in Vermont was
relatively constant over the past 5 years, averaging only 12 per year
through FY2000. Additionally, methamphetamine seizures are rare, and law
enforcement officials have not seized any methamphetamine laboratories in
the state since 1990.